Eureka Springs, AR – A person of interest in a recent double homicide near Eureka Springs has died while in custody, according to Arkansas State Police.
Officials say Travis Lee McConnell, 54, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on November 14 in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, following a double homicide investigation in Carroll County, Arkansas. He was being held on an outstanding felony DWI warrant from Missouri.
According to authorities, McConnell was found deceased on November 16 inside the Pittsburg County Detention Center. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the circumstances of his death.
The homicide investigation began after Carroll County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a welfare check at a residence on West Highway 62, where they discovered Joy Bennett Willmeth, 77, and Robert Leo Willmeth, 71, both dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
At the request of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division has taken over the homicide investigation.
Authorities from both states say the investigations into both the homicides and McConnell’s in-custody death remain ongoing.
*This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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